9/11 10 years later

The day started like any other. I was a brand new college freshman at New York University and woke up early to head off for my 8 a.m. chemistry class. On the way to class, I walked down University Place and admired my surroundings, including the beautiful view of the Twin Towers. I could never realize at that moment what was to occur only an hour and a half later. I attended class and everything went as usual. I got out of the class at 9:15 and headed off for my next one in a building practically next door, only to learn class was cancelled for some unknown reason.

It was only after I got down to the bottom floor of the building that I overheard a fellow student say that classes were cancelled because someone had flown an airplane into one of the Twin Towers. I walked outside and looked up – to see the Twin Towers each with a massive black hole with smoke billowing out. I did not yet realize at that exact moment what was truly going on, but would quickly find out.

As I walked down the streets of lower Manhattan, staring up at the Towers, people were filling the streets and similarly looking up, discussing and trying to determine what had happened. We were less than two miles from the World Trade Center and it was a surreal sight at the moment. It was only after I heard someone’s car radio, set to high volume and around which several people were crowded, mention that the Pentagon had been hit and there were as many as eight hijacked planes in the sky that I begin to understand what was occurring.

We all watched and listened to what transpired, until a short time later when I was on a phone call with my family, letting them know I was okay. Suddenly, I heard people screaming all around me. I looked up and witnessed the first Tower collapse straight down. It was a sight I will never forget and for me the accompanying sound is still vividly in my memory. It literally sounded like all of Manhattan was falling apart, that is how loud the sound was. Afterward, people were shocked, frightened and running in all directions. I maintained a sense of calm thankfully, as did a lot of other people, and eventually went to my dorm to watch and listen to the events transpiring.

By the end of the day and afterward though, New Yorkers showed their true resolve. I remember the outpouring of support by everyone and going to Red Cross stations and blood banks that were so overloaded with volunteers that they had to turn people away. I vividly remember moments like those, moments that made me proud to be a New Yorker and an American. The next few days were all a blur of information and emotions for most and I remember thinking how fortunate I was to be okay and how if nothing else this should serve as a reminder that life is precious and to take advantage of every opportunity. I remember hearing stories about fellow congregants who managed to escape the Towers, about my uncle who worked in the area and went into work late that day, or a friend who I am proud to say has a father serving as a firefighter who was off-duty that day: he rushed to the scene as fast as he could but by the time he was there it was too late. I was also heartened by the show of help and support by New Yorkers toward each other.

It is 10 years later now and it is hard to imagine that much time has passed. One of the many questions on the minds of many Long Islanders is what did we take away and where are we now since that unforgettable day.

In many regards, people have gone back to normalcy. It is easy to forget everything that transpired directly or indirectly from 9/11. Issues including national security are still important but have taken a back seat to other issues in American life. So many events happened following 9/11 that have shaped our country, including: the war in Afghanistan; the war in Iraq, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which created the Department of Homeland Security; the USA Patriot Act; and the economic impact to the U.S. economy and especially devastating damage to New York’s economy and businesses.

So what are the legacies of 9/11? There is the legacy of national security and privacy rights. A recent LIBN article noted that ten years after 9/11, two-thirds of Americans say it is okay to sacrifice some privacy and freedoms to fight terrorism, according to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A majority of people – 54 percent – say they would choose preserving their rights and freedoms over protecting people from terrorists. The public is especially protective of privacy rights, sharply opposing to government surveillance of Americans’ emails and phone calls. Overall, six out of 10 say the government is doing enough to protect Americans’ rights and freedoms as it fights terrorism. The U.S. effort to combat terrorism received mixed reviews: 36 percent say it has been extremely or very effective, 49 percent say moderately so. According to the poll, Americans have different comfort levels with various security scenarios. This legacy is certainly ongoing and may continue to change as time goes on.

There is also the “legacy of illness” unfortunately affecting the many brave first-responders on the scene during 9/11. Recent articles have documented the plight of first responders since 9/11, wherein thousands have been diagnosed with pulmonary, respiratory, skin and blood disorders, as well as cancer since sifting through and working in the toxic rubble following 9/11. Studies conducted by the Office of Medical Affairs at the Fire Department of New York City found that 8 percent of the 1,636 firefighters present when the towers collapsed had been diagnosed with “World Trade Center Cough” — defined as chronic rhinosinusitis, asthma and/or bronchitis. By 2006, a study conducted by Mount Sinai Medical Center from July 2002 to April 2004 found 70 percent of 9,500 Ground Zero workers — construction workers, transit workers and volunteers, as well as firefighters, law enforcement officials and EMTs — had suffered lung dysfunction or other abnormalities. Hundreds have died, according to New York City officials and other groups.

Finally, some relief was given to the first responders and their families in January 2011 when the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act finally passed. The bill called for $4.2 billion to be spent over five years — $1.5 billion covering health benefits and $2.7 billion for compensation — with provisions to avoid fraudulent claims. However, the lack of scientific evidence linking cancer suffered by 9/11 first responders to time spent at Ground Zero means that not every ailment suffered by the first responders is being treated. Many consider the decision to exclude cancer patients an indignity. Those who sacrificed their health and in some cases their lives in helping others on 9/11 and afterwards deserve better.

While many people fortunately survived 9/11, nearly 3,000 people – fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters – including over 400 emergency workers, did not survive. Countless families lost loved ones they can never get back. New Yorkers and Long Islanders especially have deep ties to what occurred, and in that sense many feel a deeper sense of responsibility.

One hundred years from now, what will be the legacy of 9/11? The loss of course, can never be replaced, but we have the ability to bring about good as well. How each person chooses to remember and commemorate 9/11 is an individual choice, but we should honor the memory of everyone lost on 9/11.

I came across a wonderful idea called the 9/11 Tribute Movement, which allows people to describe their tribute and dedicate their tribute to a loved one, first responder, soldier or someone else. The 9/11 Tribute Movement mission is “to provide a positive and forward-looking way for Americans and others to forever honor and remember the 9/11 victims, survivors, and the many that rose in service in response to the 9/11 tragedy.” I think it is a beautiful idea. If nothing else, everyone, especially young people with whole lives ahead of them, should also realize how important and precious life is and live it fully. In the face of so much bad that occurred 10 years ago, hopefully good springs forth on this day and going forward.